Monday, August 8, 2011

This speech was given at an “End the Fed” rally in Chicago, August 6, 2011

The most absurd idea to come out of political discourse is not Marxism. One can understand an emotional, albeit irrational tie to that philosophy.

Nor is it collectivism. One can understand the lure of collectivism in general, even though it runs against a logical perview.

Nor is it Keynesianism. One can understand the mistaken notions of Keynesianism during recessions and depressions to “jump start the economy” even though we all know the deleterious effects of such policy.

No, the most absurd idea to come out of political discourse has to come from the neoconservatives and their fellow travelers who extol the virtues of free market capitalism and in the same breath acknowledge—to them-- the necessary existence of the Federal Reserve and the perpetuation of endless war. Now. There is the ultimate chicken and egg question. Which must come first? The desire for war and the necessity to fund such war without directly laying taxes? Or the existence of a national bank such as the Federal Reserve that gives open season to big government—and make no mistake about it—the biggest government enterprise is war. “War is the health of the state” as Randolph Bourne has so aptly put it.

How can one possibly hold to an existence of limited government when having a military budget that is virtually more than all other military budgets combined in the world?

How does one have limited government when fifty to sixty percent of the national debt is militarily related? And don't buy the silly notion that the national debt is fourteen or sixteen trillion. If private business calculated their finances in such a manner, the officers of the business would be thrown in prison. The real debt is over 100 trillion—that is necessarily counting the unfunded liabilities that have accrued over time—Social Security, Medicare and pensions—and a big hunk of which is
military pensions.

How does one become delusional enough to pontificate about limited government when supporting or voting for the likes of the Patriot Act that has totally destroyed what Fourth Amendment guarantees were left after the implementation of other wars such as the war on the mafia and the war on drugs? Nothing can be more unlimiting than allowing big government to invade our homes without a search warrant and even without notice after the fact. Our phone conversations, our internet activities, our email, and even our garbage—are all under surveillance, without proper, Constitutional court order. All in the name of one war or another. But the real war—we all know-- is the war on our freedom. Our founding fathers fought a revolution for such outright, long train of abuses.

Swat teams are descending upon student loan defaulters, raw milk users, and unfortunate individuals caught in case after case of mistaken identities, gunned down by swat teams, --casualties of the war on drugs, casualties of government sponsored terrorism. Make no mistake about it. You are far more likely to become a victim of government terrorism than from some Islamic extremist driven with zeal because some American drone plane killed his children.

All this and more—yes, the strip searching of a 95 year old woman with a diaper comes to mind—and yet the neocon either ignores or fully supports these totalitarian invasions of our freedom and perpetual war around the globe, and in the same breath—talks about limited government. Absolutely the most absurd idea ever to come out of political discourse.

Here in Illinois, three fellow travelers with the neocons—call themselves tea party Congressman. Randy Hultgren, Joe Walsh and Robert Dold, all voted for the Patriot Act. They are all enemies of freedom and should be held to the level of respect they deserve. None of them call for the end of the Federal Reserve. Why? Because the Federal Reserve is the enabler to end all enablers. It is the enabler of big government. It is the enabler of perpetual war.

Do you think for a minute that the American voters would allow the continuation of such wars if they had to pay for the real cost up front with taxes? Heck there might even be a revolution afoot if that happened. That is why a Federal Reserve is necessary. To keep the people from revolting from what is a totally corrupt, totalitarian system of perpetual war and domestic surveillance, high taxes, higher inflation and a total disregard to our natural rights.

So if you want a continuing plunge into abject serfdom, and totalitarian slavery, with death squad swat teams of real terror, support the Fed. Support the politicians who want to perpetuate the Fed.

If you want to be part of the most absurd political movement imaginable, than extol the virtues of free market capitalism, limited government and the Constitution at the same time you call for perpetual war and domestic surveillance and the existence of its enabler, the Federal Reserve.

But if you are a rational human being who believes in individual freedom, then the course is clear. To begin to travel the road to freedom and prosperity, one must first open the gateway to freedom. The key to that gateway is to end the Fed. End the Fed! . . .

About Me

Kenneth John has been the talk show host of "Freedom Rings" for over fifteen years now. He has been a libertarian activist and writer all of his adult life. You can view some of his writings at www.freedomrings.net. Kenneth is a graduate in economics from the University of Illinois. He is married to his lovely wife, Pam.
Favorite Congressman: Dr. Ron Paul
Favorite canoeing river: Flambeau River in Wisconsin
Favorite Founding fathers: Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine and Samuel Adams